Texas Wildfires Scorch 1.8 Million Acres

6,251 fires consume  1,837,958 acres, 902 structures and at least 20,000 livestock

Wildfire Image of the Day: Texas Wildfires Burn Near McDonald Observatory

The dome of the 15-yo Hobby-Eberly Telescope at McDonald Observatory is seen against a background of burning mountains in Texas on April 18, 2011. Photo Credit: Frank Cianciolo, McDonald Observatory 

Texas Wildfires Update

Report: Saturday, April 23, 2011

• National Preparedness Level: 1
• Southern Area Preparedness Level: 4
• TFS Preparedness Level: 5

Texas Fires YTD Totals

• Fires: 6,251 [10 new fires]
• Acres Burned: 1,837,958
• Structures Destroyed: 902
• Source: Texas Forest Service (TFS)

M6.9 Quake Strikes Solomon Islands

Strong Quake Strikes W of Kira Kira, San Cristobal, Solomon Islands

Tsunami NOT expected, based on the available data.
There were no reports of damage, or casualties as of posting.

10-degree Map Centered at 10°S,160°E

EQ Location Map. Image enhanced by FIRE-EARTH

Event Location Map. NOAA

Earthquake Details

• Magnitude: 6.9
• Date-Time: Saturday, April 23, 2011 at 04:16:55 UTC [Saturday, April 23, 2011 at 03:16:55 PM at epicenter]
• Location: 10.349°S, 161.233°E
• Depth: 81.6 km (50.7 miles)
• Region: SOLOMON ISLANDS
• Distances:
• 76 km (47 miles) W of Kira Kira, San Cristobal, Solomon Isl.
• 173 km (107 miles) SE of HONIARA, Guadalcanal, Solomon Islands
• 184 km (114 miles) SSE of Auki, Malaita, Solomon Islands
• 2084 km (1294 miles) NNE of BRISBANE, Queensland, Australia
• Location Uncertainty: horizontal +/- 14.4 km (8.9 miles); depth +/- 7.9 km (4.9 miles)
• Source: USGS NEIC (WDCS-D)
• Event ID: usc0002xcx

Related Links

• FEWW Volcano Links
• Volcanoes
• FEWW Earthquake Links

The Storm Worm Growing

Image of the Day

The U.S. Storm Bug

GOES Eastern US SECTOR Infrared Image

Eastern Conus Sector (Infrared Channel).  Click HERE to update.   

Eastern Conus Sector (Infrared Channel).

Related Images

Click images to enlarge

Click Image to enlarge. Click HERE to Animate Image. (Source: SSEC/Wisc-Uni). (24-Hr FE ED).

Annual Severe Weather Report Summary 2011

No. of Days: 111
Tornado reports:  701
Wind: 4,236
Hail: 2,918
Total Reports: 7,855

Related Links

• Weather
• Satellite Imagery

Last Updated: April 23, 2011 @ 12: 56UTC

UK Smog Triggers Air Quality Warnings

The United Kingdom Cloaked in Toxic Haze

Satellite images showing the UK suffocating in a lethal cocktail of chemicals, particulate matter, dust and dirt particles trapped by a high-pressure system.

The United Kingdom was draped by a pall of smog on April 22, 2011, when  MODIS on NASA’s Aqua satellite took this photo-like image. The toxic haze,  foretasted to persist through at least Sunday, April 24, has reportedly triggered air quality warnings in England and Wales, NASA-EO reported. Click image to enlarge.

The smog over United Kingdom and Ireland was even more visible a day earlier.  United Kingdom and Ireland Subset – Image by MODIS on Aqua satellite 1km res photo-like  image for April 21, 2011. Click image to enlarge.  Click HERE for largest image.

A view of central London from Parliament Hill (Hampstead Heath, north London, UK)  on April 22, 2011. Photo: AP. Image may be subject to copyright.

Pollution Kills, OK?

Motor vehicles are a major source of ground level ozone and smog. Ozone can inflame the lung’s lining, and repeated episodes of inflammation may cause permanent changes in the lung. (Left) A healthy lung airway and,  (right) an inflamed lung airway. Source EPA.

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